


A thousand hues of tone

by cherryspliced



Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: A+ old fashioned parenting, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Reconciliation, Shameless song abuse, Six is not ok in this fic, Somewhat descriptive sex, Suicide Attempts, all the LN2 comic characters are in this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:27:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29627010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryspliced/pseuds/cherryspliced
Summary: The modern day—nonetheless nightmarish—lives of Six and Mono outlined by songs I deem befitting.
Relationships: Mono/Six (Little Nightmares)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





	1. Hazy Shade of Winter

On the Eve of her 25th birthday, Six is sitting in a solitary booth in a bar that she can’t be bothered to remember the name of. Short on money, she nurses a half-drunk glass of beer while she watches the storm outside. She isn’t hoping to get drunk, merely killing time, waiting for the cruise to leave so she can resume life as it goes. Resisting all thoughts of divorce papers is easy if you’re too busy smiling and handing out brochures. A single poisonous thought slips through the net, and she knows that if Mono were here, he’d probably still lend her cash if she asked. She takes a swig of her drink, already warm from the heat of her palms. 

There is a rapping at the edge of the table that causes her to glance. It’s a man who looks strangely familiar to her—but then, people often tended to these days. A guest from the cruise ship? He slips into the other side of the booth and grins cheekily at her. 

“A Blue Ribbon for my lady friend here?” He calls out. She quirks an eyebrow. 

“That’s not my usual.” 

“Well, I figured you deserved a prize for being the prettiest li’l thing I’ve seen all day.” Not a customer, then. If she were anyone other than who she was, she might have giggled or smirked challengingly. Instead she hums thoughtfully, as if simply acknowledging his jab. Well-manicured nails drum against the wood as she considers him for a moment. He isn’t bad-looking, young—maybe even younger than she—dark hair that seems to fly every which way, a sharp chin. For a blinding moment she can’t seem to tell the present from an echo, and all she can see is a blurred image, dark and pale and static. She begins to shake. 

She continues to shake all the way back to his car. He doesn’t ask why. Perhaps he thinks her cold, which is reasonable, but Mono would have asked if she was ok. He would have shielded her from the snow hardening into hail. This one is suited for killing time. 

He has one of those hippie vans that college students tend to go touristing in, a nauseating shade of green. The seats are lumpy and heavy with the smell of dope. Head twisted at an awkward angle, she finds it better to breathe as he humps her, legs hooked over his shoulders and his hands gripping solidly at the middle of her thighs, as if afraid to stray. Somehow, she prefers it that way. Better not to brush a memory against the parts of her body that craved. 

“ _Oh God, Oh fuck—_ ,” she sucks her teeth, irritated as he pulls out and rubs himself over her. A bit of it gets on her blouse, which she so carefully ironed the day prior. He seems to notice _that_ , at least, and offers her a blunt as a sort of apology. By the time she’s finished, he’s passed out in the driver’s seat. She lets herself out. 

She walks up the street, already knowing without needing to see that she has missed the bus. A heel slips on ice and, frustrated, she plops herself onto her suitcase, hands cradling her temples. The dope is still in her system, warm and fuzzy against the frigid weather. Perhaps, if she sits here long enough, she will shatter into pieces like cold glass. The passing car lights mirror on ice. Or maybe she would endure like that. Like she has always done. Yet in this moment, it seems all that matters is nerve. Shivering, she rubs her hands against her cold cheeks and stands. Heels clack against the slip. Already the wind is around her, slicing at the fall it cannot break. But then for a split second it is coming through her, blaring and stealing the breath from her lungs. Too late she realizes it is the car she has jumped in front of. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So unlike “Togetherness” I’ve got no idea where this story’s gonna go. I literally just posted this because I got the idea of the story in my head and didn’t wanna lose it, so I probably won’t update this as much as my other LN fic. However I’m real excited for it so will definitely be coming back to it as soon as I’ve got a basic premise in my head sooooo 👍🏻
> 
> (“Hazy Shade of Winter” by The Bangles. A bitchin’ song.)


	2. Somebody That I Used To Know

_** Six ** _

Six was born when she was 9 years old. Metaphorically, of course, but before the day she and Seven were dumped on the side of the road, there were no tangible memories she could grasp. At some point, there were kind hands that held her tiny ones, but even closer within reach were those that made rough pilgrimages down her body, soppy tongues that outlined the contours of her face. Hands that fed her bitter candy that made her sleepy and slapped her when she didn’t comply. Did those hands belong to a single person, or many? Did they belong to the ones who brought her into this world, maybe? She wasn’t sure. The mind played tricks. But she liked to believe that being thrown out the side of a moving van, headfirst into the cold was a shock like being born. 

Nobody stopped for them. Seven hit his head during the fall, and she fed him grass and nuts that she wasn’t sure was edible. They had given him the candy. Much more than they gave her, she knew, because he looked past her face into somewhere her eyes couldn’t follow. He cried for people she didn’t know, and at some point he closed his eyes and didn’t open them again. Not until Six found Julia. 

She hadn’t wanted them when the little girl wandered into her property. Six knew that, because the woman automatically sent them to the hospital. Again, it felt like Six was in the womb, with adults stripping her of her filthy clothes. Poking and prodding her and putting things in her mouth, saying adult stuff like,  _ “memory loss” _ and  _ “rape kits” _ and  _ “where are their parents? Any known relatives? Can you find a way to contact them?” _

Nobody ever did come for them, though. Seven, because he was an orphan and no longer knew who he was, who  _ Six _ was. Six, because the therapist sat her down and told her that her parents had given her away to the bad men, and had fled the country. Even with the words told slowly, enunciated as if she were a dog being trained to lead, she couldn’t understand. She only understood that there was only Julia. Julia, who didn’t want her. Didn’t want  either of them. But she took them anyways, because of  _ “federal funding”_. More adult talk. 

There were other little boys and girls when they drove back to that house in the woods. 5 in all, none of them looking alike. Except one boy, who stood in front of all of them. He had Julia’s brown hair, her sharp chin. Julia herded them both into a shed with a tin tub and a few streaks of light pouring through. She washed them both at the same time, with vinegar water and gasoline because she was afraid they had diseases. The vinegar smelled enough to raise tears, and the gasoline burned their scalps. Seven cried, because he didn’t know any of these people and they were  _ hurting _ him. Six merely scrunched her eyes and endured. 

Seven was luckier than her, though. He didn’t remember being born. He was a naturally sweet boy who adapted easily into the family, even became one of Julia’s favorites. She called him “David”, and she called Six “Saki”.  _ What kind of names were those, _she asked. 

“Those are what you’re called.” Julia responded as if that made total sense. “They’re your God-given names.” And she’d wanted them to call her “Mom”, too. Six continued to call her Julia, because that was  _ her _ God-given name. She got smacked so many times for it, but she was used to the memories brushed against her body. Still, she’d never felt more alone in her life.  _ Six and Seven._ Those were their stage names, and they always came in a duo to whomever requested. And now Seven was defecting. 

The chubby boy, Cookie, reached over to snag the bread from her plate.  _ Cookie _ . To her, it was his stage name, as she’d given all of them. Cookie, because he liked cookies. Nosebleed, because she was sickly and, well, had constant nosebleeds. Nomad, because he always came home with his clothes in a wreck. His favorite game was cowboys and Indians. Spooky, because he liked wearing a sheet over his body and jumping out to scare people. There was the one boy, though. The one that looked like Julia. She didn’t know his stage name yet. Julia #2? Little Julia? Julian? 

“You’re kind of weird.” Cookie said while stuffing the morsel into his mouth. Six merely shrugged. She’d never seen a child so fat, so in her opinion he was even stranger than she. Though she knew better than to say so. He seemed the kind of person that could give but never take. A hand ducked under her field of vision. When she looked down, there was a half piece of buttered toast on her plate. Seven, who was next to her, smiled shyly.

“Gordie, you shouldn’t take Saki’s food.” It was the boy, who was sitting nearby the television. Cookie went flush as he ducked his head and scowled. 

“Six.” She said instinctively. “My name is Six.” 

“But Ma said your name is Saki.” 

“Isn’t that supposed to be a type of alcohol?” Nosebleed said, mostly to herself. She sat near him in the rocking chair, bloody nose obscured by a book. 

“It’s because,” Seven stopped to think for a few seconds, as he seemed to have to do so often these days. “It’s cuz it sounds cool. And similar. And... a number is better than alcohol, right?” 

“Oh, then it’s your nickname.” The boy said. _No_ , Six wanted to say. It’s because that’s my name. And yours is Seven.  _ Seven _ . But he just smiled innocently at her, as if he figured out some grand puzzle. She just stared. Whether or not it was right to correct him didn’t matter. The choice, like every other, had been made for her. 

She stuffed the bread in her mouth whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Popular headcannon alert: Six is Japanese, or at least has some Japanese in her. This came faster than I anticipated. I admit it: I am completely Little Nightmares trash now 😂
> 
> (“Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye & Kimbra. Y’all remember that song, right? It was kind of hard, finding a song for this chapter because the tone is kind of shifty, but I figured this one was pretty fitting?)


	3. Alphabet Boy

_** Mono ** _

Mono was unsure what to make of her. The new girl. Of course, there were things about her that he knew, because he observed. He was good at observing, a pastime of his, something that made him good at being the oldest of his siblings. She was a tiny, skinny thing with rich black hair that fell in her eyes no matter how many times Mama combed it over. He had a feeling she preferred it that way, though. Beneath her bangs, her eyes shifted constantly, not unlike an animal.

She was quiet. In the 2 months in which they had lived together, she hadn’t spoken 10 words, except to David. Mono liked David. David, he could figure out easily. There is little to figure out, after all, when there are no secrets tucked inside your head. He was outgoing and attentive. He liked animals, almost as much as Paul did, and thus they became fast friends. The more they did, the less he came to Six. The more sullen she became. It was enough for Mono to feel sorry for her. She was... a good kid, he knew down in his heart. He was good in that way, too, judging character. Or at least, that’s something he admired about himself. He always saw it, the way she never reacted when the other kids harassed her. The way she sat as if there was no soul present in her body. But she was good. Maybe that was why Mono began to find himself speaking in her place.

“Robbie, don’t pull Six’s hair. She doesn’t like that.”

“Gordie, stop stealing her sandwiches, would you? You’ve got enough.” It was as if he had become the voice that refused to come from her lips. In an odd way it made him fond of her, because it was as if it was some kind of interconnection in which only  he  knew what she was thinking. It was strengthened by the fact she’d made no effort to tell him otherwise. It was only till later that he realized that he really didn’t know the kinds of things that ran through her mind at all.

She had a habit of biting her nails until they bled. She was picky with her food, which earned her plenty of smacks. She wore all of Alice’s hand-me-downs, favored the white frock and raincoat, especially. She never took it off, even though it was summer and hot enough to cook a body. All these things he lightly nagged her for, but it was the music box that really did it. While everyone else played, she sat in the corner, fiddling with the music box. It was Mama’s music box, the one she got from Grandad.

“Give me that.” She glared at him. “That’s Ma’s, and if she catches you with it you’ll get spanked.” When she didn’t respond he tried to snatch it from her, which she responded in kind by shoving him with such unexpected force it made his teeth rattle as he fell. The room went quiet. When he looked up at her she was over him as though she planned to carry through with her fist. He must have seen it then. Behind her hateful eyes, the clouds were scattering.

One night, he got up to use the bathroom and heard fumbling about. Through the sliver of light of the door, he peaked. It was her, going through the cabinet that Mama told them never to touch. He rushed in and closed the door behind him, pushing his back against it so they were both trapped within the tiny space.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m not tired.” She hissed back, and the roughness of her voice surprised him. She shook a bottle. “So I’m eating this.”

“You can’t!” He whisper-yelled. “That’s Ma’s, and if you eat them you’ll get sick!”

“No you won’t. I eat them all the time.” He made a grab for them, the suddenness catching her off guard so that when she stumbled back, the lid popped off and the little candy-like things went everywhere. They scattered like marbles, with a likewise sound. Mono flinched, praying that nobody heard. Then she flew at him, trying to scratch his face. She was startlingly strong, but he had the advantage of a healthy body and height. So they tousled until she’d been worn out. “What the hell,” she panted. “ _ What the hell _ _._ ”

“Don’t say that.” He snapped. “I’ll tell on you.”

“Go on, then! I hate you, and I don’t want to be your friend, so there!” A minute more, they stood there glaring at each other, until Mono stooped down to pick up the candies. He flicked the lint off them as he gathered them back in the bottle, and he handed her one.

“You can have one. Just one. If you do this again, I’ll tell Ma.” She snatched it and chewed without water, and the way her jaw popped gave him something to think about as he slunk away, back into an uneasy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *slams fists on table repeatedly* “big brother mono, big brother mono, big brother mono—,”
> 
> Here’s the names of the other kids btw
> 
> Alice (Nosebleed)  
> Gordie (Cookie)  
> Robbie (Nomad)  
> Paul (Spooky)
> 
> They’re from the LN comics. Idk their actual names, these are just the names I gave them. 
> 
> (“Alphabet Boy” by Melanie Martinez)


	4. Good Days

_** Julia ** _

At some point, every parent has to lie in order to keep their child happy. But Six was right. Julia had not wanted her when she’d came onto her porch looking for help. She had not wanted her when the police told her they had no one else. But still she kept them, just as she’d ended up keeping her grandson and the others. She hadn’t wanted them because they were little urchins who needed therapy and special classes for when they began school, and she’d already had so many mouths to feed. She hadn’t wanted them because she had 4 boys, all of which slept in a single room. Robbie, still only 5, slept in a dresser drawer for God’s sake. 

And when she actually had them? Her resolve had not changed, but for reasons different than you would think. The child was the most stubborn creature she’d every laid eyes on. But Mono’s mother had also been stubborn. Stubborn as a mule. Perhaps she was afraid, the affection she might develop for this one, and the hardships it would doubtlessly come with. She understood the feeling of losing a child that you favored a little too much. And Saki was all but starved bones. She coughed often. 

It wasn’t long before she both detested and loved the girl. She was headstrong and constantly disobeyed, yet never complained, never threw tantrums or cried when she didn’t get her way. She wouldn’t eat her vegetables, but the meat and carbs transformed her from gangly to merely slender. She was tough, that Saki. Maybe even tougher than Julia. 

Near the end of summer, it seemed at last she might forget her old life. The kids enjoyed playing in the woods, and Julia enjoyed having time to herself. She was reading a book in the living room when she heard yelling and the door swung open. There was her Mono, flushed and his cowboy hat out of place on his head. 

“They’re hanging Six!  _ Ma, they’re trying to kill Six!”_ She bolted out of her chair as if attached to a taut string. Together they ran across the field, Julia hot on his heels until they reached the edge of the property. There was Saki standing on a bucket while Paul looped a jump rope around her neck. Alice was screaming, blood streaming down her chin as she tried to pull him down. By then, Julia was in such a rage she barely registered Saki saying,

“No, you gotta make it tight, or else I’ll just fall when you kick it.” She flung the noose off and yanked Paul across her lap for a spanking. While she was at it, she whipped the other boys good, too. 

“ _ Do you realize what you could’ve done?!_” She screamed, panting and furious. Robbie was crying. 

“But she _wanted_ us to hang her, Mama. We were playing cowboys and Indians.” 

“Yeah,” Paul inserted, “she even showed us how to tie the knot, too.” Julia, infuriated by their lies, drew her hand back for another beating when she heard the crying. She turned around. It was Saki, tears of frustration slipping down her cheeks. 

“You ruined it.” She wept. “You ruined the game. I was supposed to die.” 

“Child, you don’t know how to play! If you had let them do what they were going to, you would have died for real.” Saki was quiet. Through her dark hair, there was a glimmer in her eyes, and Julia realized with disbelief that the girl knew perfectly well what was real and what wasn’t. 

“Bitch.” Alice sobbed in horror behind cupped palms. 

“What did you just say?” 

“ _ You stupid old bitch! _ ” Saki screamed, and the next second Julia backhanded her so hard she went sprawling in the dirt. Then she was dragging her by the coat collar back to the house, Saki screaming obscenities all the way. She took her into the bathroom, where she sat on the toilet and jerked the child’s underwear to her knees and spanked her. She continued to beat her, because she continued to struggle. Once or twice, she flailed so wildly that she nearly slipped out of Julia’s grasp. 

“ _ Fuck you! You chicken shit! _ ” The woman was gobsmacked. Was the little girl insane? Or did she simply not understand what she was saying? Either way, she grabbed a bar of soap and shoved it in her mouth, then promptly shut the door behind her. In the hallway, the kids had been watching, all mortified but entertained, as is the way when you watch your siblings get punished. She shot all of them a look that said if they didn’t get out of her sight, they’d get the very same treatment. In a flurry, they all scattered. 

An hour later, Julia came back and sat on a stool in front of the toilet. Saki still had the soap in her mouth, her face both red and green. She pulled the bar out of her mouth. Then there was silence. 

“Look at me. Saki.” She didn’t. “... Six.” Her eyes shifted. “Your parents are gone. They’re not coming back.   
  
“But I can be your Mama. You can live here, and you won’t be no different from any of my other ones.” 

“I don’t care.” The child said, voice bitter and wet. And so she left her alone. Whether she actually did care or not, Julia never knew. For all her anger, she was closed off. Closed off and stubborn. 

Obstinacy is the same red as pain, after all.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich. There’s a part in the book where the kids almost hang one of their sisters as a game. It’s pretty crazy.
> 
> (“Good Days” by SZA. Idk if that’s a super popular song cuz nobody I know listens to SZA but 🤷🏻)


End file.
